ORIGINAL: tacx
Hi All,
Got some questions regarding what the temperature range should be for glow engines? I worry about my engines over heating. I picked up a infared temp gauge today, but it does me no good if I don't know what temps I should be looking for.
1. Are the temp safety limits the same for all glow engines. 2 and 4 stoke?
2. Where on the engine should I be checking?
3. Should I check static on the ground or just after a flight?
Thanks for your help
Tom
Tom,
I do have some values of my 2 stroke 10 CC glow engines, running on 5 % nitro and 10 % synthetic oil.
Values measured with a datalogger during flight are:
Normal temperature on the ground but also during flight are between 150 (302F) and 180 (356F) degrees C,
Absolute temperature max for normal operation for me is 185 degrees C ( 365 F).
Overheating, or not acceptable for me, are all temperatures above 200 degrees C (392 F) whatever the reason is (plug, vapor lock, lean). I do have a separate detector for that.
Thermocouple.
I do measure the engine head temperature by measuring the temperature of the cupper seal washer of the glowplug with a thermocouple. See picture.
For me this is the only way to create a comparable, representative and repeatable measurement.
Maybe you can use these values to compare with readings of your instrument.
I think your indications will be much lower because I see a point temperature and not a global head temperature.
Cees